Need Advice on New Reef build

[ai-reefer]

I have a 29 gallon reef with Aqua c Remora and Aquaclear mechanical filter, 60lb's live rock, 40lb live sand,

I want to upgrade.

Budjet is $1700 including tax.....i would like to do it under a G if possible

i don't have a sump...don't know how to set one up...don't really want one either, but if i have to have it..guess i'll get one

i definetly want auto topoff

2 or 4 - T5's will be fine - $200-400

6-7 fish max, 5-6 corals max

i need a RO/DI, guessing thats around $400

Good temeperature control

Live sand and rock - $200

Tank+stand - $600

Im just throwing some numbers out there so i might be way off.

Im saw a 75 gallon tank at petsmart for 199 and

120 gallon for $219

A predrilled reef tank at Aquatic Critter for $284

I want to do it december to im thinking maybe i'll get some stuff on sale during thanksgiving/black friday

If anyone can advise me on some good deals, i would really appreciate it.

 

[gsusfreak]

Re: Need Advice on New Reef build

are you planning on using all of the rock and sand from the 29?....if so, i think setting up a bigger one for under a grand is definitely possible since you would only need approx 20-40 lbs of either rock and said ....i made some comments below highlighted in red

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13609333#post13609333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ai-reefer
I have a 29 gallon reef with Aqua c Remora and Aquaclear mechanical filter, 60lb's live rock, 40lb live sand,

I want to upgrade.

Budjet is $1700 including tax.....i would like to do it under a G if possible

i don't have a sump...don't know how to set one up...don't really want one either, but if i have to have it..guess i'll get one
i'd recommend to have one(not necessary though)...any tank always looks better without all the clutter of eqipment showing....and if you're handy, you can make one pretty cheap

i definetly want auto topoff
best thing ive ever bought in this hobby....i top off my container once a week....JBJ's ATO is $80...and toss in another $30-40 for a container and pump

2 or 4 - T5's will be fine - $200-400
check out the retrofit kits from reefgeek...a 4 bulb will run around $300...only think is, you'll have to have a canopy

6-7 fish max, 5-6 corals max

i need a RO/DI, guessing thats around $400
nah, airwaterice has a great RODI units for under $200

Good temeperature control
no comments on this section since i dont have a controller...too pricey for me (you'll hit your budget in no time).....i just have a heater that rated for my size tank

Live sand and rock - $200 check craigslist for someone getting out ...could possibly get it cheaper but $200 sounds good

Tank+stand - $600 if yoy dont mind getting a used tank, check craigslist.....i got my 90 from a fellow member here for $200...i got lucky (thanks cKreef)

Im just throwing some numbers out there so i might be way off.

Im saw a 75 gallon tank at petsmart for 199 and

120 gallon for $219

A predrilled reef tank at Aquatic Critter for $284
i would definitely recommend a predrilled tank...integration with a sump is necessary though

I want to do it december to im thinking maybe i'll get some stuff on sale during thanksgiving/black friday i do remember the critter having some type of tank sale around christmas time

If anyone can advise me on some good deals, i would really appreciate it.

and dont forget about the other necessary things like a powerhead, powerstrips, timers.........all in all though, adding up all my approximate prices, $1000 is very doable.....but if you want everything to be new, then your whole budget would probably be used up

 

[james3370]

for ATO, i personally will be getting one of these. only thing else you need w/ it would be some kind of container. depending on tank size & amount of evaporation experienced, i think a simple 10gal tank would work...which can be had for 15-20 bucks
http://www.aquahub.com/store/product27.html

here is the breakdown of a quote i was given a few months ago by chris r (not the owner chris) at the critter when i was looking at doing a 75gal reef-ready:

* 75gal perfecto reef-ready w/ all tank plumbing - $284.00
* glass top - $45.99
* 48"x18" stand - $238.99
* Sealife Systems Reefmaster 100 w/ sump, fuge & fuge light - $299.00
* Pentair 2200 return pump - $69.00
* 250w heater - $38.99
* 90lbs carib-sea live sand (4 @ $29.99) - $119.96
* 48" Nova Extreme Light Fixture - $294.00

for a grand total (before tax) of $1389.93

to goto a 120gal the 3 changes were as follows:
tank - $448.00
60"x18" stand - $275
glass top - $53.99
* these 3 prices were not ADDITIONAL to above, but price if other items removed

 

[Angela Short]

Aquahub was the top off I had and it "sometimes" got stuck in the ON position but the failsafe float always stopped the pump but an extra few gallons in 270 gallons didn't swing stuff. I would still use it again in a sump application for the money.

The floats like that and the JBJ can be tricky sometimes especially if you don't use the snail gaurd. Speaking from experience there. Flooded my girlfreind house with the JBJ mounted in the tank. A snail must have climed up the glass and kept it pushed in the ON positin because the tank was overflowed by about 3-4 gallons on her hardwood floors while on vacation but seemed to be functioning fine when we found it. A JBJ is fine in a sump with room to mount the failsafe but I would not put it in the display as it is big and bulky with the failsafe added, not to mention the snailgaurd is an ugly baby bottle to cover it. She swapped to a tunze and has never had a problem.

Put the selling forum as a favorite as well as semi local clubs like ETRC and NTRC and go look every chance you get. The good stuff getts gobbled up within an hour or two of being posted. I got all my Tunzes from there for way under retail, you just need to watch for the deals to come. James on here is selling a brand new tank for $150 loss but its not the size you need but just an example the deals are there if you just look hard and be paitent! Good lick!

Also I would definetly go with RR even if the sump is nothing fancier than a rubbermaid tub from tractor supply just to hold the heaters and ATO and a skimmer is pretty important IMO also. You can blow a cheap fan across the sump for temp controll also!

 

[Angela Short]

Also I would just get dry macro rock to fill in what I needed as you already have plenty of live
Also before I dropped the cash at petsmart you can get a nice tank from Glass cages probably cheaper and bigger for the same mony.

 

[ai-reefer]

Thanks for the advice.

Im in no hurry so im gona do this slowly + im not gona add the fish in there untill i get the copepod/amphipod population up in the new tank.

Id like to get the tank,stand, heater going first so that the copepods can start to multiply...and i will use all the live rock from my other tank. If you guys see any deals please let me know.

In reality i do want to do the sump and the cornerflow tank but i just can't see how they charge that much for the sump. Is it me or the sumps overpriced like crazy.

 

[DMBillies]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13611068#post13611068 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ai-reefer
In reality i do want to do the sump and the cornerflow tank but i just can't see how they charge that much for the sump. Is it me or the sumps overpriced like crazy.

I'm beginning to think that pre-drilled reef ready tanks aren't keeping up with the technology. Simply put, there are overflow designs that you could install yourself for less money that will have a much smaller in-tank footprint and a similar noise level. I know a couple of people who have overflows from glass-holes.com. They have kits that come with the diamond hole saws for drilling at very reasonable prices and I think the end result will be better... especially for relatively "small" tanks like 75 gallons where a 4"x6" overflow takes up a lot of space. There are a LOT of non-reef ready tanks on craigslist for dirt cheap and as long as you can verify that the sides are NOT tempered glass, there's no reason you can't use them. If you're going to blow your budget, you should do it on fun stuff where you'll feel like you're getting your money's worth (like a computer or a better skimmer).

As far as a sump, it is basically the same thing. You can get an acrylic tank and design your own sump with some acrylic from Lowe's or HD. There are a number of local places that sell the weld-on you need to install the baffles. Or, get glass baffles cut at a glass shop and use silicone in a glass tank (which, again, you can probably find within the club or on CL... you don't even really need to worry if there's scratches in sump tanks, so as long as it holds water you're set). There are plenty of designs you can look at online (or talk to people in the club). One thing every sump should have is a good bubble trap to avoid salt creep and messing up your other equipment.

I got my ATO's from autotopoff.com and I know a couple of other people that use them. A pretty cheap, already put together ATO. Knock on wood, but I've never had a problem with either of them, just make sure you get a version with a failsafe and get the snail guards (I've never had my main's fail).

Marco rock is the bomb (beautiful/porous rock at a good price), but you usually have to wait for it, so once you decide what tank size you need and how much rock you'll need to add, order it.

Finally, if you don't have all of the powerstrips and timers that you'll need already, an ACjr. should work fine for a tank in the 75-120 gallon range. They aren't top of the line, but they give you a decent amount of control at a reasonable price. And when you add up the costs of 4 timers and a couple of DJ switch strips, you're almost there. Just keep your eyes open on the selling forum...

 

[james3370]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13611744#post13611744 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DMBillies
I'm beginning to think that pre-drilled reef ready tanks aren't keeping up with the technology. Simply put, there are overflow designs that you could install yourself for less money that will have a much smaller in-tank footprint and a similar noise level. I know a couple of people who have overflows from glass-holes.com. They have kits that come with the diamond hole saws for drilling at very reasonable prices and I think the end result will be better... especially for relatively "small" tanks like 75 gallons where a 4"x6" overflow takes up a lot of space.

glass-holes.com is the bomb-diggity....they put together a "package" for me when i was looking that included the 700gph overflow kit w/ holesaw, bulkhead & all fittings + (2) return kits w/ all fittings, holesaw + loc-line & ends.....all for less than $200

i'm not gonna do an overflow on this tank, but i will DEFINATELLY be getting the returns & loc-line stuff from them for my falseback setup

.....then again, i might just drill this tank & build me a cheap fuge/sump LOL

 

[ai-reefer]

I see two options

1. I can get the 75G predrilled reef w/sump/fuge/topoff $1700

2. I can get the 120 gallon w/topoff & no sump $1000 - $1200

im leaning towards the 120 at the moment

reason is that ...i want to build my dream tank when i build my home ...im gona have a seperate room for it with all the proper provisions.

 

[gsusfreak]

where are you looking at?

 

[poolkeeper1]

Sent you a PM Poolkeeper.

 

[ai-reefer]

Gotcha PM

Still need some advice on the T5 lights and timers....the one major problem i have right now is controlling the temperature.

 

[HollieR14]

i just wanted to add my 2 cents on marco rock- it is pretty but we ordered back in August was told 2 weeks and still nothing- thie guy seems to have disappeared....will not call me back, we gto some nice rock from bulk reef supply- super fat shipping and very helpful

 

[sandalscout]

Yeah, I LOVE my Marco rock, but it's really hard to get an answer from him. I split an order with someone and I emailed him in April with some questions, never heard back from him.

 

[DMBillies]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13616071#post13616071 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sandalscout
Yeah, I LOVE my Marco rock, but it's really hard to get an answer from him. I split an order with someone and I emailed him in April with some questions, never heard back from him.

Apparently then his rock has become harder to get a hold of since I ordered it. I waited two weeks for it to ship (which I was told when I ordered) and he was very responsive to e-mails... I knew people were waiting a while longer, but I didn't know he was not as responsive as he used to be.

 

[DMBillies]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13614224#post13614224 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ai-reefer
the one major problem i have right now is controlling the temperature.

I haven't priced temp controllers in a couple of years since modding my kegerator, but the last time I checked they weren't cheap. If you are considering buying a Ranco dual stage controller (or something similar), I would really consider a full on reef controller... which will replace your temp controller, timers for lights, and allow you to do pH control on something like a kalk reactor in the future.

I'm only saying this because I went without a controller for a LONG time because I didn't think I could afford it. After having one, I bought myself a lot of peace of mind and replaced a lot of other more fickle equipment. To me, that easily pays for the extra out of pocket up front (and in the long run I think it could actually save you money).

 

[james3370]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13614224#post13614224 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ai-reefer
Still need some advice on the T5 lights and timers....the one major problem i have right now is controlling the temperature.

if you have any way to put one (or 2) of those cheap lil clip-on fans so it blows on the water surface, you will be amazed at how much a difference it makes in water temps. my 12gal open-top w/ 150w halide would have temps 82+ after the halide had been running for a few hrs (runs on timer from 10:30am-8pm) but after i put one aimed at the water surface, temps now stay in the 74-76 range.

i got mine at kmart for $10

 

[ai-reefer]

I don't have a problem keeping it cool ....the heaters are unreliable....they don't turn off when the tank reach the desired temperature.

How does a controller work? Is it hard to set it up. Im thinkin.g i'll put the sump money in the controller. I dont mind the equipment in the tank. Its 120 gallon so theres plenty of room

 

[Highside]

Bulk Reef Supply has the dry rock just like marco rock. No wait when I ordered it.

 

[ai-reefer]

I need some advice on lighting...what would you guys recommend.

I have 24" Hagen Double T5 HO right now...and they are so freaking bright i cant look at for more than 2 seconds..the polish on the reflector is amazing

I need a 48" lights

now im very happy with my T5's

i wanted to get 2 hagen double t5s. that would give me 4 bulbs.

Each light is $200 including the 2 bulbs.

so that would be $400 if i decide to get 2 of them.